Wildlife Crime and the COVID-19 Pandemic

New visualization of the COVID-19 virus from Fusion Medical.

The highly contagious and deadly COVID-19 (coronavirus), with its epicenter in Wuhan, China, is spreading rapidly throughout the world. It’s also causing massive disruptions in transportation, business, family, and health on a global scale. Human consumption of wildlife often sold in local black markets have long been suspected as a contributing factor to these viral public health pandemics. Recent evidence suggests that pangolins—the world’s only scaly mammal and Asia’s most trafficked animal—are at the center of thecoronavirusoutbreak.

Despite the health risks, wildlife markets continue to be popular and thecoronavirusis, like pandemics before it, spreading at an alarming pace. The WHO statistics, even at this early stage in the current crisis are stunning: 84,173* cases are reported in China and worldwide across 25* countries. At least another 29,000* cases are suspected. 2,876* have died of the virus so far, and these numbers continue to climb daily.

*Figures correct at original time of publishing.

Morph from the #WildForLife campaign.

What We Have Done:

Raising awareness is an important step in stopping these markets. PCI Media’s global #WildForLife Campaign, launched in 2016, warned of these dangers and aims to halt wildlife trafficking worldwide. To reach our audience in China, the largest consumer of illegal wildlife products in the world, we featured six Chinese celebrities to spearhead efforts to raise the consciousness of their fan base on social media and on the #WildForLife website. We have also set up large airport exhibitions to raise awareness in wildlife trafficking hubs. At the Beijing International Airport, for example, 48 billboards and 54 digital screens displayed anti-trafficking messages. 21 digital screens were deployed in Shenzhen International Airport and 6 ports between Shenzhen and Hong Kong featured the campaign messaging. In addition, the Dayawan Hotel Group in Sanya set up 62 LED screens in hotels and shopping malls in major cities in Asia.

The results have been remarkable: In China alone, 110 million engaged with our postings. 2.9 million pledged their commitments to help eliminate wildlife trafficking and to influence others to join the effort.

#WildForLife was ranked among the top 10 trending topics on Weibo!

More Activism Needed Urgently:

With the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in China and worldwide, we must now redouble our efforts to help the world understand that wildlife crime is serious. It is a major contributor to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and must now be stopped before the death toll mounts exponentially.

Go to the #WildForLife website, discover your kindred species and pledge to do all in your power to stop wildlife crime.

Adopt and use best public health practices to avoid spreading the disease.

Tell global policymakers that it’s time to get serious about wildlife crime committed by traffickers.

Use the link below to support PCI Media’s global campaign to end wildlife crime and stop the pandemic dead in its tracks.